


The video

by Sherrinford_Silanous_Alex



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Child Abuse, Childhood Sexual Abuse, M/M, Major Character death in first chapter only, Multi, Rape, Suicide, Suicide Notes, Two Endings, Video
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:01:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23142094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sherrinford_Silanous_Alex/pseuds/Sherrinford_Silanous_Alex
Summary: *Trigger warnings for suicide mentions, child abuse and rape*A video was shown to students and they discover that the one who smiles the widest hold the most scars.Two endings: original (chapter 1) and alternative (chapter 2)
Relationships: Cenred/Hunith (Merlin), Cenred/Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 102





	1. The original story

**9 AM Sports Hall Y12 all present**

"A few days ago, I received a package from an anonymous source. It came with a note which said 'On the 13th March 2020, can you please hold an assembly for year 12 only at 9 AM. The contents of this thumbdrive must not be opened until then. Thank you. M.E.'. Today, we will all see the contents of this USB." A figure said as he stood before the students. Wearing a tweed jacket, Professor Kilgarrah glanced around the room.

He noticed the social groups. The jocks: Arthur Pendragon, Valiant Adder, Gwaine Green, Leon Knight and Elyan Smith. The popular girls: Vivian De Carter, Morgana Le Fay, Guinevere Smith and Sophia Sidhe. Over the other side of the hall sat the nerds/geeks: William Harris, Freya Bastet, Gilli Simmons, Sefa Fitz and Merlin Emrys. Only Emrys was not present. Behind him, the USB was opened and the video labelled 'To begin' was opened.

Merlin Emrys' face filled the screen. The student looked at each other in confusion and began to whisper. The video started to play.

" _Hello. My name is Merlin Emrys and I want to tell a story before I go._ "

The jocks began to sneer and smirk while the popular girls rolled their eyes. But the nerds/geeks widened their eyes and hoped they were wrong. Merlin had said once that he would only video himself speaking if it was the last thing he did.

" _This is the story of the raven-haired boy from the start to the end. This story begins when the boy is around 5 and being pushed around by some older kids. Another boy, Blondie, walks up to the group and tells them to stop after he hits them. Blondie then turned around towards the raven-haired boy and helped him up. The two became best friends and over the years did everything together. By 11, the raven-haired boy realised he was both gay and in love with his best friend. But these things aren't meant to be. The two friends drift apart._

_By 12, the best friend turned from protector to bully and his main victim was the raven-haired boy. One day, the boy went home and found his mother smiling widely. She had just been proposed to by her boyfriend. A few days later, the boy's future step-father was introduced to him. He seemed to be a nice man who cared about the boy and his mother. Within the year, the mother and her fiance got married and it was then the man showed his true colours. After the wedding ceremony, the man asked the boy for some help moving things from a room before the reception and so the boy agreed. But when they reached the room, the man locked the door behind them and began to walk towards the boy. This was the first time the boy was raped by his stepfather, who told 'his little falcon' that he 'loved him' but if anyone was to find out, his mother would get hurt. The boy was 13._

_After the wedding, the_ _boy's mother got promoted as a nurse and so had irregular hours. But this worked to the man's advantage as the mother would spend the weekend at a friend's house near the hospital and during the week, be too tired for her son. The boy then had to develop a routine. He'd wake up, get dressed for school, get bullied, get home and do some work before his stepfather returned and raped him every weekday. After the stepfather was satisfied, the boy would go into his bathroom, take a razor and cut. On fridays and the weekends, the stepfather would return drunk and proceed in beating the boy within an inch of his life._

 _By 17, the boy had cigarette burns all over his torso, belt whip marks all over his back and slits all over his arms. As the situation at home worsened and the taunts in schools grew louder, he realised he couldn't take it anymore. So he took his father's camera and recorded himself telling a story. He placed this video on a thumbdrive alongside photographs his stepfather had take of his body after the rape and photographs depicting his scars. He sent the thumbdrive to school alongside a note and endured three more days before finally slitting his wrists deep enough that he let go of reality. The boy's name was Merlin Emrys._ "

The hall looked around, tears streaming down their faces. The video ended with Merlin's final words,

" _Know that this was not meant to be malicious and that I forgive you. I am finally free so goodbye forever._ "

All of Merlin's friends looked down at their phones and went into contacts. One by one, they each called Merlin's phone and when they listened to his voicemail, they all burst into fresh tears. He voicemail said,

"Hi. It's Merlin. Don't bother leaving a message as I can't hear them from the other side. Goodbye forever."

* * *

Meanwhile, Hunith, Merlin's mother, returned home after a long night shift. As she entered the house, she noticed Merlin's school bags still in the corridor. Not wanting her son to miss school, she knocked on his bedroom door and upon hearing no reply, went inside. Merlin's bed was undone and a handwritten note sat on his desk bearing the title 'Mother' on it. It read:

' _Dear Mother,_

_Know that I am so sorry and that I love you. I sent Uncle Gaius all your belongings and explained to him that you will be staying with him now. Please leave Cenred before he hurts you instead. I'm safe now, finally being free of my torment. I love you and it was not your fault._

_Love your son,_

_Merlin Emrys_ '

In a panic, she spun round and noticed the bathroom door was ajar. With a sense of dread, Hunith pushed the door further in and screamed. Merlin was laying in a pool of his own blood inside the bathtub. He was completely nude and Hunith could see all his scars. She saw the cuts he inflicted on himself, the cigarette burns all over his torso, the bruises and strangulation marks on his neck yet to faded away. But it was his face that scared Hunith the most. Laying dead in his bathtub, Merlin was smiling softly as if he was dreaming of something pleasant not leaving reality.


	2. The Story of Ambrosius DeGraft

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A missing boy presumed dead 11 years before shows up at his school's 10 year reunion.
> 
> This is what happened after the video.
> 
> (Alternative ending if you did not like Merlin dying at the end of the first one.)

**3 days prior to the video being shown**

Percival DeGraft had just had a long day at uni full of exams. He was done. All his exams were over. No more bloodshot eyes, no more all-nighters. Just sleep. He walked towards his room and fell onto his bed. As he began to drift off, he heard his neighbour Merlin through the thin walls.

"... _endured three more days before finally slitting his wrists deep enough that he let go of reality. The boy's name was Merlin Emrys._

_Know that this was not meant to be malicious and that I forgive you. I am finally free so goodbye forever."_

As he drifted off, he thought nothing of it. Only he should have.

* * *

**3 AM 13th March 2020 (Day video was watched)**

Percival sat in his bedroom, reading a book when he heard Merlin.

"Goodbye forever." Percival heard through the thin wall connecting his bathroom to Merlin's. With the house being silent aside from the occasional page turning, Merlin's voice sounded strong.

In alarm, Percival threw open his bedroom door and ran to the front door. 

"Percy, where are you going?" Lancelot, Percy's twin brother, asked.

"I think Merlin is killing himself. So let's go." Percival stuttered, shaking. Lancelot's eyes widened and the brothers ran next door. They tried the door. It was locked so Percival kicked the door open. 

They ran into the bathroom and found Merlin was laying in a pool of his own blood inside the bathtub. He was completely nude and all his scars were on view. They saw the cuts he inflicted on himself, the cigarette burns all over his torso, the bruises and strangulation marks on his neck yet to faded away. But it was his face that scared them the most. Laying dead in his bathtub, Merlin was smiling softly as if he was dreaming of something pleasant not leaving reality. His heartbeat was weak but present.

"Hello, we need an ambulance. My friend has just tried to commit suicide. He slit his wrists. Please hurry." Lancelot spoke into the phone. 

* * *

**About an hour later...**

Merlin woke to bright, white lights and the smell of disinfectant. His arms were banaged and his hands held by two people. Merlin groaned softly and the people either side of Merlin turned towards him.

"Hey Merlin." The DeGraft twins said, smiling softly at him.

"Lance. Percy. Where am I?" He asked.

"Merlin. What is the last thing you remember?" Lance asked.

"I... I tried to kill myself." Merlin said, looking down.

"Merlin, we know." Percy spoke up.

"You know? Is he coming?!" Merlin began to panic. He couldn't come here. He couldn't.

"Calm. Breathe. In. 1.2.3. Out. 2.3.4." Lance instructed. 

"Merlin. No-one else knows you're here." Percival explained.

"Where am I going to stay, then? I don't want to go back."

"You can get emancipated and live with us." Lancelot stated as he and Percival shared a look.

"Can I change my name too? I don't want to Merlin Emrys anymore."

"Sure but what will you change it to?"

"Ambrosius DeGraft because you're like my big brothers." The twins smiled and nodded.

After Merlin's discharge, they stayed in the flat but within the week, found a new place and moved in there. Merlin's case made the front page of all newpapers but none had Merlin's face on it. The police never found Merlin's body so claimed he was missing. Six months later, Cenred went to court and faced 6 years in prison. Merlin was presumed dead and within a month of his jail sentence, Cenred was killed in a prison riot.

* * *

**11 years later...**

Merlin stepped of the plane and glanced around the airport. Standing on one side were Lancelot and Percival holding a sign saying ' _Lieutenant_ _Ambrosius DeGraft_ '.

"Welcome home, little brother." The two said as he approached them. The three hugged and smiled.

The three then went home to their pub called 'The Knights of DeGraft'. Inside, Lancelot and Percival asked Merlin if he was ready.

"Are you sure? I mean it has been years." Lancelot questioned.

"Yes guys. I am a donor for their counselling scheme and they want me to talk to the group. I am ready."

"Merlin, you do know _he_ will be there, right?" Percival whispered.

"Yeah. So?" Merlin asked, bemused.

"He still misses you. Every year, on your birthday, he comes here and gets plastered." Percival explained.

"Yeah right. Look, I'm a little jet lagged right now so let's just talk tomorrow. Cool?" Merlin said, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

The next day was spent helping out at the bar. At around 6PM, Merlin got dressed into his army uniform and made his way to his old school. By the door stood Sophia Sidhe and Vivian De Carter. Pulling his hat down, he said,

"Good evening, ladies." The two giggled and replied.

"Good evening officer."

Merlin made his way inside and Professor Kilgharrah called him up to the stage.

"Everyone, meet Lieutenant Ambrosius DeGraft, a major donor to our school community."

"Thank you Professor. I would not say I am a major donor to the school but I wanted to give the students here a chance to get support. Something I never got when I was here over 11 years ago now."

"Forgive me but I don't remember a DeGraft coming here." Professor Kilgharrah said, confused.

"That's right. I should probably introduce myself. My name is Lieutenant Ambrosius DeGraft but you all know as Merlin Emrys." Merlin replied, taking off his hat and running a hand through his hair.

There was a shocked silence until a voice, so familiar to Merlin after all those years, repeated,

"Merlin?" Arthur ran up to the stage and hugged him. He whispered, "Merlin. I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, prat." Merlin whispered back. Arthur broke from the hug and cupped Merlin's head in his hands. Without a second thought, Arthur's lips found Merlin's. Merlin kissed back and his arms moved over Arthur's shoulders. Placing his forehead against Merlin's after they broke apart, Arthur said,

"I love you Merlin. I have always loved you." Merlin replied with a,

"I still love you, Arthur. I never stopped."

**The end**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's the end.
> 
> Now question. Should I write a Merthur story where Merlin and Arthur are secretly married and have two kids but none of their friends know. Merlin would be doing his PHD and Arthur would work for his father. Uther is a good guy and alongside Hunith and Gaius, know that Merlin and Arthur are married.
> 
> Sound good?
> 
> Please let me know if you'd read it and want me to write it while on lockdown. 
> 
> Thanks,  
> Ford.


End file.
